Did God reject Abraham when he lied?
(Genesis 12-14; Heb. 7:1-10; ) Blog May 01-07, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God made man perfect but in our federal representative, Adam, we lost that perfection. We all inherit guilt and corruption of nature from him. God provided a new federal representative for us in Jesus. By faith in him our original guilt is removed, and we look forward to the removal of our corruption at his appearing.
Cain rejected God’s Substitute, so found no forgiveness, and then killed his brother Abel. Within a couple thousand years the world became so violently wicked that God erased it clean with a flood, but not before warning its inhabitants for 120 years and providing an ark of salvation. Upon coming out of the ark God promised to never again cover the earth with a flood but in unbelief Nimrod and his companions built a God-defying tower that God destroyed.
Babylon and Egypt
1. Where was Abraham’s hometown? Abraham was born & raised in Ur of the Chaldees by Terah his father who was the 7th generation (about 300 years) after the flood (Gen. 11:26-28).
2. What city was the glory of the Chaldees? Babylon was the great, glorious city of the Chaldees (Gen. 11:31; Isa. 13:19).
3. How was Abraham’s faith tested when God promised to bless him, make him a great nation, and make him a blessing? Abraham’s faith in God’s promise of future blessing was tested by the command to leave the comforts of his home & homeland for an unknown hostile foreign environment (Gen. 12:1-4).
4. Where did Abraham first settle and build an altar in Canaan land? Abraham settled in Sichem in the plain of Moreh which means “early rain” showing that when we step out in faith, we receive the early rain of God’s Spirit. God told Abraham him that he would give him that land (Gen. 12:6-7; Rom. 5:1-5).
5. When famine came to Canaan what advantage did Egypt have? Egypt had the Nile River to water its cropland for its source was far south in the heart of Africa (Gen.
6. What did Abraham demonstrate in Egypt by lying about Sarah his wife? Abraham revealed his sinfulness by lying about Sarah (Gen. 12:11-13 Rom. 3:9-10).
7. What evidence is there that God did not reject Abraham when he lied about his wife? Although Abraham sinned, God did not reject him for we are not justified by our good deeds nor condemned by our bad deeds. Rather we are justified (accepted in God’s sight) by faith in Jesus our Substitute. Abraham still believed God & God plagued Pharoah’s household to protect Sarah & Abraham (Gen. 12:17-18; Rom. 5:1).
8. What do Babylon and Egypt represent in the Christian life? In the Bible Babylon represents salvation by our personal obedience & Egypt represents salvation without our obedience (Isa. 27:13; Jer. 2:18).
Abraham and Lot
9. After his episode with Pharoah what problem next confronted Abraham? After returning to Canaan Abraham’s herdmen & Lot’s herdmen quarreled because there was not enough pasture to support all their cattle (Gen 13:6-7).
10. Where did Lot choose to take his herds and live? Lot chose the well-watered Jordan valley near wicked Sodom, leaving Abraham in Canaan where God again promised him the land of fatness (Mamre) & communion (Hebron) (Gen. 10-18).
11. While Abraham was left with the drier mountain country, what assurance did God give him? God again promised Abraham the land of Canaan as far as he could see, including the fatness (Mamre) & communion (Hebron) — really the whole world – because he trusted God (Gen. 10-18; Rom. 4:13).
Melchizedek and Tithe
12. Why did Chedorlaomer and his three Babylonian allies attack the five kings of the Jordan Valley? Afterserving Chedorlaomer for twelve years the Jordan Valley kings rebelled. This introduces 13 as the number of “rebellion” in the Bible (Gen. 14:1-4).
13. How did the battle of the kings go and with what results? The four Babylonian kings won the battle while the Jordanian kings fled & their cities were ransacked & the people taken captive, including Lot. This shows 5 to represent “fallen” in the Bible (Gen. 14:8-12; Rev. 17:10).
14. When Abraham heard that Lot was taken captive, what did he do? Abraham armed his men & together with his three local allies pursued the Babylonian kings recovering all the goods & people (Gen. 14:13-16).
15. Why did Abraham refuse the offer of the King of Sodom to keep all the bootie and just return the captives? Abraham trusted God to make him wealthy & did not want his neighbors to think they had made him wealthy (Gen. 14:21-24).
16. Why did Abraham give a tenth of all the spoils to Melchizedek? Abraham served the true God who has always asked his people to return a tithe of their increase to support his ministry & Melchizedek was God’s priestly representative on earth, so in honor to God who gives us wealth Abraham paid tithe to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18-20; 28:22; Deut. 8:18).
17. What do we know about Melchizedek? Melchizedek was THE priest of the Most High God who presented to Abraham the emblems of Christ’s life & death & blessed him. He was King of Peace (Salem) & King of Righteousness (Jeru) who remained a continual priest (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7:1-4).
18. Who might Melchizedek have been? Melchizedek may have been Noah’s son, Shem, who would have been the oldest godly male alive at that time (Gen. 11:10-11).